Mixed
Lengthened partial repetitions (LPs) elicit similar muscle hypertrophy and strength-endurance adaptations as full range of motion (ROM) repetitions in resistance-trained individuals.
If you are a trained lifter, you don't need to force full range of motion if it causes pain or joint issues. You can use lengthened partial reps (starting from the stretched position and going halfway up) and still build muscle and strength just as well as doing full reps. Just make sure you are training to failure and emphasizing the stretch.
Both muscle thickness and unilateral lat pulldown 10-repetition-maximum improvements were similar between the two conditions. Results were consistent across outcomes with point estimates close to zero, and Bayes factors (0.16 to 0.3) generally providing “moderate” support for the null hypothesis of equal improvement across interventions.
Why this rating
High-quality within-subject design with trained participants, though the 8-week duration and moderate sample size (n=25) limit long-term generalizability.
Source
Lengthened partial repetitions elicit similar muscular adaptations as full range of motion repetitions during resistance training in trained individuals
Milo Wolf et al. · PeerJ · 2025
This is one finding among thousands. Every one is graded and traced to its source, so you can see what the evidence actually supports. Browse the research →